SLOWLY AND DEEPLY

Asher's hands froze mid-air, his eyes widening as he trembled, crumbling to his knees. Between ragged breaths, he whispered, "This has to be a dream," as if clinging to the hope that the reunion unfolding before him was nothing more than a cruel illusion.

Kira knelt in front of him, her eyes brimming with tears as she cupped his cheeks, gently wiping the moisture from his eyes while he removed his mask, the metal hinges creaking softly as it fell away.

The warmth of her hands indicated that this was real, yet he struggled to comprehend the reality of their reunion. As her thumb caressed his cheek, his lips trembled and he broke down, prompting Kira to join him in their emotional outpouring, oblivious to the crowd around them. The world had been unfair, tearing them from each other's embrace as if their union were forbidden by the heavens, a cruel fate that had left an aching void in both their hearts.